Hidden Grace
by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel
Summary: There's a reason no one can find Michael. Oh yeah, and Dean's not just a Vessel. AU. Complete.
1. Part One

**Author:** TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel

**Title: **Hidden Grace

**Summary:** There's a reason no one can find Michael. Oh yeah, and Dean's not just a Vessel. AU.

**Spoilers/warnings:** Uh… season five? In general? You know who Gabriel is, you're good to go. If not, DON"T READ THIS. Instead, go watch the episode 'Changing Channels' like, _right now_. No real pairings, although maybe a slight suggestion of Dean/Castiel.

**Author notes:**

_-evil grin-_

_I've seen variations on this plot before, and it's kinda awesome, so I had to jump on the bandwagon. No one's quite written it the way I'd like to see it, so… I'm trying._

_If you spot a typo, please let me know._

_

* * *

_

**HIDDEN GRACE**

**Part One**

* * *

"Hey boys," a smug voice said.

Dean spun around.

"Gabriel," he said, with a mix of annoyance and _oh-thank-God-it's-just-you_ in his expression.

He was never exactly happy to see Gabriel, but next to dicks like Zachariah and Uriel he'd take Gabriel any day. Besides, Gabriel was on their side. Sort of.

Gabriel smirked at him, like he'd read Dean's thoughts, which he probably had.

Frigging mind-reading angels. No respect for privacy.

"Gabriel," Sam greeted the archangel, looking a bit happier to see him than Dean was. "What's up?"

Gabriel's grin went back to smug.

"Call Castiel for me," he ordered. "I've got some information for you bozos."

His entire demeanour screamed I _know something you don't know, bitches._

Dean scowled, but reluctantly fished out his phone to call the other angel.

"_Dean."_

"Hey Cas," Dean said. "Gabriel's here. Apparently he's got something important to share with us, because he keeps bouncing around like he needs to pee."

Gabriel aimed a glare his way, while Sam snorted, before trying to pretend he hadn't as Gabriel glared at him as well.

"_I will be right there."_

Dean hung up just as Castiel appeared in their motel room.

"For the record," Gabriel said, giving Dean an indignant glare, "yes, it is important, and I looked nothing like I needed to pee."

Sam snorted again.

"Actually, you kind of did, Gabriel," he offered.

"Shut up, Sammy."

"What is it you wish to tell us?" Cas asked, cutting through the arguments before they could properly get started, going straight to the point as usual.

The annoyed expression on Gabriel's face melted away to be replaced by a self-satisfied one.

"Yeah, about that. You guys know no one's heard from Michael for a while now, right?"

"We are aware that Michael has been missing for some time," Castiel confirmed.

"Well, it turns out there's a really good reason why no one can find Michael," Gabriel said, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. "Come on, I'll show you."

He snapped his fingers.

* * *

There was a rush of vertigo, and Dean was standing on the edge of a forest, Sam stumbling beside him while Cas stood as steadily as a rock, looking totally unaffected by the sudden relocation.

"The hell?" Dean snapped. He hated it when Gabriel did that.

"Dean." Sam sounded awed. "Look."

Dean followed Sam's gaze, and forgot his irritation.

Not far from them at the edge of the forest, towered the biggest damn tree Dean had ever seen. It was strong. It was solid. Its leaves were green and huge and healthy.

"Dude, that is one big-ass tree," Dean said, trying not to sound too impressed.

Gabriel walked forwards, and the rest of them followed him.

Up close, the tree looked even more… amazing, was really the only word. It was like the most perfect tree possible, and the whole area around the tree felt peaceful and safe.

"Is that…?" Sam began to ask, sounding like he half-dreaded the answer.

"Yep," Gabriel replied, looking upwards. "You're looking at the current repository for Michael's Grace."

Dean moved a little closer, drawn to the magnificent tree, unable to help staring. He could feel it, great and mighty and somehow benevolent.

It felt weirdly familiar.

"So, if that's Michael's Grace, then where's Michael?" Sam asked.

And without even thinking about it, Dean reached out and slapped a hand against the trunk of the tree.

* * *

It was like falling in reverse.

One minute he was human and small and fragile; the next light and fire _roared_ into him, huge and bright and glorious and just, lighting up his soul like a sun and filling his body almost to breaking point.

Grace spilled over into wings, six of them, massive and powerful and bronze-orange.

At the same time, memory and knowledge poured into his head, slipping into the many, many gaps he hadn't know were there, broadening his mind and perceptions.

Michael opened his eyes.

Castiel was gaping at him, mouth and eyes opened wide in absolute shock, almost fearful.

Gabriel was standing in grim, angry disbelief, a hand clamped over Sam's eyes to prevent him igniting at the sight of an archangel's true power.

Michael hastily stuffed as much of his Grace back into his body as he could, except for the ethereal wings filling the sky behind him.

Sam struggled out of Gabriel's grip, and Gabriel let him go.

"Gabriel – what the hell–" he spluttered as he turned back around, stopping at the serious, stunned way Michael was staring at them.

He hadn't expected this. Any of it.

"Hello, Michael," Gabriel said, coolly and deliberately.

Michael couldn't help it; his wings instantly fanned out aggressively at the dark note in his brother's voice.

"Screw you, Gabriel," he snapped back, before he realised belatedly that this was _not_ the best way to start this.

He took a deep breath out of habit, and forced his wings down and back into a more neutral position.

Gabriel's own wings were tense, curving close to his back in ready defensiveness should things turn ugly. Michael supposed that he couldn't really blame him, considering how things had been the last time they'd seen each other, before he was human.

Cas…

Castiel's wings were a mess of askew, dull feathers, a reflection of his failing Grace. They hung limply from the angel's back, in shock and hopelessness, and if Michael had wanted to he could have easily torn them open to leave Castiel utterly defenceless. Castiel wasn't even _trying_ to keep himself safe; it was like someone in a safari park just lying there waiting for the lions to come and finish them.

"_Fuck_," Michael said in pain, and reached out to yank the younger angel close.

Gabriel made a hasty movement, preparing to intervene, but Michael just hooked his fingers into the dishevelled feathers and poured Grace into Castiel's wings, unable to stand the forlorn state of them or the defeat in Castiel's posture.

Cas made a little gasping sound in his ear, but Michael held tight, and even when he had filled Castiel to the brim with Grace and let the torrent cut off, he stayed wrapped around the other angel in the desperate hope that Castiel would understand what Michael was trying to impart.

Reluctantly, he let go, and turned to face his _other_ brother.

"Dean?" Sam's voice was small, and he sounded freaked.

"Kinda, Sam," Michael replied. "You know how you were just asking what happened to Michael?" He gave Sam a strained, self-deprecating grin.

Sam's eyes went wide, as he got it instantly.

"No. This isn't happening," Sam said, taking several hasty steps backwards. "You can't seriously be – be –"

"The archangel Michael?" Michael supplied, feeling a sinking in his Grace. "Sam, you saw what happened with Anna. I'm sure you can figure it out from there."

Sam shook his head in denial.

"No. No way."

"Hate to break it to you, kiddo," Gabriel said, watching Michael with inscrutable dark eyes, "but Mikey's pretty unmistakeable. And Dean? Is definitely Michael."

"I can't deal with this," Sam blurted, the expression in his eyes confused and broken.

"Sam!" Michael called urgently; but Sam had turned and fled, across the greenery towards the road in the distance.

Michael shut his eyes.

"None of this was supposed to happen," he muttered. "Not like this." He wrapped his wings around himself, felling horribly off-balance and vulnerable.

"Oh, _really?_" Gabriel's scathing voice cut in. "So why don't you tell us how it _was_ supposed to go, Michael?"

Michael opened his eyes and raised his head to meet his brother's gazes.

Castiel looked bewildered and almost cowed, a look Michael had never seen on the angel before and didn't like to see now, although he didn't look as utterly lost as he had earlier. Gabriel's eyes were calculating and unforgiving and curious, and he looked nothing like the archangel Michael had known.

Through Dean's eyes Michael had perceived how indifference and loss and bitter sorrow had twisted Gabriel; now, himself with Dean's memories and his own perceptions, the state Gabriel was in was clear and obvious in a way that it hadn't been before Michael had become human.

Gabriel had been terribly damaged, but had anyone even noticed?

It might not have been Michael's fault, exactly, but it _was_ his responsibility, because he was the one who was supposed to hold them all together, and in the end destroy Lucifer. But everything had gone wrong and Michael couldn't fix it, and then he'd gone and run away instead.

"I'll tell you everything," Michael said, painful earnestness and sincerity cutting through his voice like broken glass, and he let his wings fall, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.

* * *

**Author notes:**

_This chapter… turned out way better than I expected. Figures Michael's just as broken and messed up as Dean, right? I didn't even plan it; it just wrote out that way._


	2. Part Two

**Author:** TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel

**Title: **Hidden Grace

**Summary:** There's a reason no one can find Michael. Oh yeah, and Dean's not just a Vessel. AU.

**Spoilers/warnings:** Uh… season five? In general? You know who Gabriel is, you're good to go. If not, DON"T READ THIS. Instead, go watch the episode 'Changing Channels' like, _right now_. No real pairings, although maybe a slight suggestion of Dean/Castiel.

**Author notes:**

_There will probably be a sequel. If you're lucky._

_

* * *

_

**HIDDEN GRACE**

**Part Two**

* * *

Surprise flared in Gabriel's eyes, like he hadn't expected Michael to have a shamed or humble bone in his body.

"I failed. After Father left and Lucifer rebelled I was supposed to keep the Host on their rightful path. But no one listened."

Each sentence was a painful, secret shame, and Michael had to dredge up the words with effort, but once he had they spilled out, eager to be heard at last.

"We were supposed to be righteous and just, to protect humanity and carry out our Father's will, whether he was around or not. Instead everyone got fixated on the fucking Apocalypse. No one gave a damn anymore, it was all just 'hey, let's kill some time until we can sanctify the Earth and kick Satan's ass' no matter what I did, and I tried so hard. Everything was falling to pieces, and I was the only one trying to hold it together, and _I couldn't do it_."

Michael rubbed a hand over his face, and pressed on with his explanation.

"I couldn't deal with it, so I decided to rip out my Grace and be human until the Apocalypse rolled around. I figured that when the time came I'd blunder across my Grace somehow, and head off and do the whole 'fight to the death' thing with Lucifer. The Host had become a corrupted shadow of itself, but I couldn't get anyone to listen to me, like fucking Cassandra. You don't know what it's like."

Michael looked into Gabriel's eyes to see his own pain reflected back at him, the same anguish and futility mirrored on Gabriel's face. Gabriel understood his desperation at the situation perfectly.

Castiel was listening intently. Michael had no idea what he was thinking or feeling right now.

"I didn't expect any of what happened afterwards. I didn't expect to care. I didn't know they'd try and kick-start the Apocalypse early, and I didn't expect to find myself trying to make sure it didn't happen, or that I'd love Lucifer's vessel far too much to let him go," Michael finished wretchedly. "It's such a fucking mess."

He could see Sam walking back across the grass towards them, although Sam wasn't quite in hearing distance yet.

There was a silence.

"Huh. You're as lost and messed up as the rest of us, aren't you?" Gabriel asked, with his usual bluntness. The bite was missing from his tone though, and his expression had gentled into something soft and so real that it made Michael's Grace ache to look at him.

Michael gave a snort.

"I guess my natural awesomeness and majesty hides it really well."

"You? Majestic and awesome?" Gabriel scoffed. "Please. Lucy was the majestic one. You're just Heaven's boy scout. _I'm_ the awesome one."

Michael flared his wings in playful intimidation.

"Is that right?"

"Yup." Gabriel raised his eyebrows, daring Michael to challenge him.

"Okay, I admit you're not as much of a ham as Raphael is, but awesome? Seriously? More like delusional."

"Um," said Sam, hovering uncertainly, and biting his lip like a thirteen year old girl.

He and Michael stared at each other.

"So. You're Michael," Sam said.

"Yeah," Michael agreed.

"You've _always_ been Michael."

"That's right, Sam."

Sam took a deep breath.

"Okay."

Michael studied him, not convinced that Sam really was okay with it.

Gabriel interrupted before he could talk to Sam further.

"So, what now?"

Michael looked at the sky.

"Well, time to derail this crazy-train, I guess." His expression resolved into one of determination. "It's my fault, so I'll fix it."

"What, all by your lonesome?" Gabriel raised a sceptical eyebrow, and snapped up a lollipop to stick in his mouth. "I thought you said they weren't listening to you."

Michael glanced at him sideways.

"Well, some help would be nice. But I figure I'll kick their asses until they get behind me on the whole 'stop the Apocalypse' thing."

"Sounds like a plan," Gabriel approved nonchalantly.

"You're going to stop the Apocalypse?" Sam burst out. "But you're Michael. Aren't you supposed to fight Lucifer?" He hesitated. "I mean… that's why I'm supposed to be Lucifer's Vessel."

Michael looked into his uncertain, afraid eyes, and heard Sam's thoughts as clearly as if they'd been spoken aloud.

His Grace crackled with rage, and before Michael realised it he was in his brother's face, furious and glaring as he wrapped gigantic wings around him.

"I am _not_ letting him get his hands on you Sam!" he said fiercely, while Sam stared with wide shocked eyes. "I don't care what they do, or what they say, _no one_ is convincing me to let you be Lucifer's Vessel, _do you understand me?_"

There was so much love for this breakable little human burning beneath Michael's skin, for self-doubting, caring Sam, somehow still innocent despite everything they'd been through, and Michael would fight every angel in existence to the death before he let Sam be lost.

"I – I understand," Sam said shakily, wonder and awe blossoming in his eyes in the face of Michael's protective fury.

He'd thought Michael would _abandon_ him, now he was an angel again, like Sam was tainted or worthless, and it was so far from the truth.

Michael took a calming breath.

"Good," he tried to say more normally, and folded his wings back behind his back. Sam frowned momentarily, as though he sensed their loss.

Maybe he did. Michael's wings had blazed with the fire of his Grace.

Michael turned to Gabriel, who was looking at him like he'd never seen him before.

"So," Michael asked casually, "am I going to get any help with the 'kick their asses' plan?"

Gabriel paused to consider, in a way that was theatrical and not at all genuine.

"Oh, what the hell? Should be fun, right?" the other archangel smiled. "We should go after Raphael first, see if he's willing to listen to reason after a smiting or two."

"Or we could talk to him first," Michael suggested blandly.

"Where's the fun in that?" Gabriel objected.

"You've got a point. Besides, I owe him for exploding Cas, anyway."

Gabriel paused.

"Wait. 'Exploding Cas?'"

"Yeah."

"He doesn't look very exploded to me," Gabriel pointed out.

"Dad's been doing some resurrection on the side, apparently."

"What, and none of you _told_ me?" Gabriel looked disgruntled. "You're hopeless."

Michael cleared his throat. He'd sorted things out with everyone else. One more person to go.

"What do you think, Cas?"

"About what?" Castiel had his head tilted, watching Michael with an expression he found difficult to read.

"You know. The whole plan thing." Michael found himself watching Castiel with anxiety. "Planning on tagging along?"

"Of course," Castiel said simply. "You are Michael."

Gabriel winced and mouthed '_o__ooh'_ as Michael involuntarily drew his wings in closer.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael asked harshly.

Castiel looked like he didn't understand.

"You command the Host," he said, as though that explained everything.

Michael let out a frustrated breath.

"Uh, Cas," Sam said.

"Fuck the Host!" Michael snapped. Gabriel tilted his head in apparent consideration of the idea. Michael ignored him. "The Host has nothing to do with it!"

"I don't understand," Castiel said, his eyes trained on Michael.

"You – you followed me because I was Dean," Michael tried to find the right words.

"And now you are Michael," Cas supplied helpfully, waiting for Michael's explanation.

"Yeah, but – I'm still Dean, kind of. Dammit, Cas, you're my _friend_, not my subordinate."

"Hear that, Castiel? Michael wants to be BFFs," Gabriel translated.

Michael rounded on him.

"Gabriel –" he said warningly.

Gabriel rolled his eyes like they were all being dense.

"Oh, fine. Let me spell it out. Castiel, what Michael's trying to say, in that unbearably Winchester way, is that he loved you as Dean, and he still loves you as Michael. There, real simple."

"Oh." Castiel fixed warm, wondering eyes on Michael's face. "I love you too, Michael."

"Oh God," Sam muttered.

"Awkward, aren't they?" Gabriel asked him jovially. "It's cute."

"Shut up, Gabriel," Michael ordered. "Come one, let's get back to the motel to make some proper plans."

"Sounds good to me," Gabriel agreed. He reached out for Sam and the two of them vanished, Sam looking surprised.

Michael smirked knowingly and followed, Castiel right behind him.

* * *

**FIN**


End file.
